Still Faithful!
Faith No More – The Sol Invictus album review

Article by: Steven Principato

Sol Invictus: The unconquered Sun, the sun god of the high later Roman Empire.

In their first release in more than eighteen years, Faith No More has finally shined through dark clouds of anticipation with their latest offering, Sol Invictus available on Reclamation Records.

Hitting the Billboard charts at Number 15, Faith No More’s 7th release is  hardly a typical half-assed reunion attempt at keeping the band members from foreclosures. Instead, produced in part by slap-happy bassist Billy Gould, Sol Invictus is a genuine attempt at re-animating one of rock’s most original and iconic bands of the 1990s. It’s common knowledge that Faith No More has blasted a permanent crater on the lunar landscape of popular music, whether intended or not. It’s a fact the musically literate do not forget, the true fans have never givin up. Following 18 years of silence since their marginally received swan song record, Album Of The Year,  the die-hard cult fanbase remains steadfast and faithful STILL, rather than No More.

Consequently, despite the band’s 18 year hiatus, many former members have kept their creative machines well tuned.This couldn’t be more accurate when it comes to vocal virtuoso Mike Patton.

Patton joined Faith No More in 1989 (replacing original singer Chuck Mosley), bringing with him the unmistakable vocal talents of his native band, Mr. Bungle. This powerful new lineup could have never foreseen their meteoric rise in the 1990s and the future of music at large. Unfortunately, as the 90s came to a close, the band followed suit and called it quits in 1998.

Predictably Patton’s creative repertoire remained in continuous rotation as he continued work with his true creative outlet, Mr. Bungle. Other highly regarded projects include experimental supergroup, Fantômas, featuring Buzz Osbourne, Dave Lombardo, and Mr Bungle Bassist Trevor Dunn. One particular solo project of Patton titled Mondo Cane, featured Patton lending his dynamic vocals to 1960’s Italian pop songs in front of a full orchestra. (In Italian!)

F.Y.I. for all of the gamers; did you know that Mike Patton has done V/O work on best selling video game titles including: Portal, Left 4 Dead, and The Last of us, basically his V/O talents are mostly comprised of demonic, blood curdling screams from hell. You gotta make the most of your talent!

In my opinion Patton reigns in the pantheon of vocal gods in the same light as Instrument playing Icons such as Jimi Hendrix, Neil Peart, or Cliff Burton are to their own instruments. May he reign forever!

As for the founding members of Faith No More, including  Mike Borden, (who I like to consider the closest thing behind the drums we have to Bill Ward) toured with Ozzy and Black Sabbath following the breakup of FNM. Not too shabby!

Billy Gould, who founded FNM back in the early 80’s, well known for his slap-tastic bass playing has worked with the likes of punk rock legend and occasional mayoral candidate for the city of San Francisco, Jello Biafra. Additional projects include the techno-metallic Fear Factory, and the ritualistically mutilating mexi-metal drug Lords, Brujeria.

Let’s now fast forward to current day and on to the true purpose of this review: Sol Invictus

The record features 10 mostly short and to the point tracks. (which I will individually review!) Despite many of these tracks being the perfect length for radio play, the mandate of mainstream music does not appear to be the goal of this reunion album. Oh, and finally, despite FNMs historically unbreakable association with metal, they are hardly a proper metal band in present day and Sol Invictus is definitely NOT a metal album! It’s much more…

Track 1: Sol Invictus

Evidently, the track that is chosen to open most albums resides in such sequence for a reason. It’s basically ordered to set the mood or theme of a record in most cases. Sol Invictus being the title track and opener reinforces this idea.

Setting the tone with the lonely reverberated piano of Roddy Bottum (if that name doesn’t trigger the butthead laugh in you, then you’re more mature than I) It’s not common for an album to open with a ballad let alone one so dark and foreboding. As I listened, I noticed obvious similarities to the gruff voiced Leonard Cohen (or I dare say Nick Cave?) in this track, but even  more clearly and less obvious to many, this elegant shadowy ballad shares many similarities with the eternally meloncollie indie group, Black Heart Procession. Am I the only one that noticed? But never mind, as it’s a superb creative influence on their part.

Track 2: Superhero

Chasing a subdued intro with such a vastly upbeat, fairly melodic and catchy number, Superhero evokes memories of the hit single that started it all: Epic-minus the insta-hit inducing rap metal which seems to be a mercifully long abandoned concept in this new true to the art record. An interesting fact of this track, among others on this record is the fact the Roddy Bottum (uh..huhuh) covers the vocals on the verses which actually works out brilliantly for this song. Naturally, this infectious tune was chosen as a single for Sol Invictus. Good Choice!

Track 3: Sunny Side up

I like to consider this number a pleasant sing along. Seriously, it’s catchy. Is this song about drugs? But I’d like to point out the contrasting mood swings of Sunny Side Up (among other tracks). It sort of gives you two songs for the price of one. Or maybe just one mentally deranged song that’s too expensive.

Track 4: Separation Anxiety

This one works like a big ramp. It begins with a repetitive sequence of gritty vocal whispers bracketed by a falsetto verse, then builds to a more aggressive crescendo over the bridge. FInally, we find ourselves firmly grounded again on the verse, but now combined with peak aggression of the bridge. We finish the song on higher ground than we started. Does that make sense?  I’m really trying to figure out the words still.

Track 5: Cone of Shame

This one gets my gears of musical knowledge turning. As this track begins, It leaves me contemplating the result of two totally different bands giving birth to a dope fiend demon child.The two parentally unfit bands I’m referencing are The Cramps and Depeche Mode. From the marching drum cadence to the ominous spaghetti western surfy guitar licks, Cone of Shame channels dark twangy echoes and baritone malicious versus from Personal Jesus and various tracks on Psychedelic Circus by the Cramps. As with other songs on this record, this track also follows a basic structure. Once again, we experience a compositional mood swing in two parts: you start with the cramp-y, Depeche-y, surfy half, and then an angry explosive half that pretty much dumps us in a far different place than where we started when the song began. Its kind of like waking up from a peaceful sleep only to find yourself in the middle of a highway..or maybe in the trunk of a car on the highway.This song brings on the dark. I like it.

Track 6: Rise and Fall

This number reminds me of my absolute favorite Mike Patton project: Mondo Cane. The verse of Rise and Fall has a loungey, yet euro-pop tone. In fact, I’m swiftly whisked away to the cobble stoned streets of the Amalfi Coast as I cruise along in my Vespa scooter to enjoy an afternoon cappuccino at a seaside cafe. Then comes the bridge and I suddenly lose control, hurdling down a cliff to a bloody, mangled, jagged rock demise. There is hardly a damn song on the record that doesn’t suffer from some form of mental illness. It’s actually similar to my dating life, but instead I really like that in a record.

Track 7: Black Friday

This track should have been the first single in my opinion, as it’s simply the grooviest. With such a feel-good, bouncy, tambourine shaking verse, one has to cover their eyes from the blinding sparkle from Neil Diamond’s sequined shirt of influence. We are only given temporary relief from the clap-along happiness by a headbanger approved, mood swinging chorus, then it’s back to Jewish Elvis for the remainder of the song.

Track 8: Motherfucker

Curiously, this track was chosen as the first single. I do believe this fact proves my point that Faith No More had no intentions of exhuming and re-animating their MTV friendly career of the 90’s. Honestly, I really can’t get into this track as it’s really one of the only repetitive and predictable song on the record. In fact, upon listening to this track as the first single, I had heavy doubts about soon to be released album. Don’t Judge a record by its single!

                                            Track 9: Matador

In an album where the average song length is an average of 3 and a half minutes, this one might stand out a bit. Let’s face it, every album needs an epic masterpiece. Now as a major fan of prog rock, I’m a bit more accustomed to 20+ min epic compositions, but in the magical land of Faith No More, everything is smaller, making 6 minutes seem like a very long time. Like most tracks on the record, Matador trades off between the darkened spoken word verses and virtuously melodic choruses. In my opinion, Patton is truly the poster boy for neuroticlly mood shifting vocals, and highly infectious and soulful melodies.

Track 10: From the Dead

Like the opening track, the closing track sounds well placed at the end of the record. From the dead, is a short and perfectly mentally stable, and possibly medicated song with a fixed marching drum beat, free of nasty mood swings. In my colorful imagination ,this track’s cadence conjures images of a farewell funeral parade, however it’s ironically titled FROM the dead. Is the song foretelling of a brave new future with FNM? Or is it some ironically prophetic contradiction of a likely temporary resurrection? Time will tell.

All in all, Sol Invictus rises far above the “Half assed, obligatory reunion album” that we’re subjected to from so many of yesterday’s cash starved acts. Now as satisfying as the album is, as tempting as the supporting tour beckons, and as grateful as the die hards are to see a legendary band reunited, I’ll quote Patton (George S.) who was intern quoting a Roman Emperor when he said: “Glory is fleeting”

In other words, I predict this amazing event in music is only temporary and will eventually end with the respective members returning to future and former projects as they should. It’s safe to say that Mike Patton alone has more than his hands full with creative projects resulting in an unlikely  monogamy to his old flame, Faith no More. The man Is a music player, or a pimp of music, or a music slutbag, something…he gets around. As an unfortunate result, I really couldn’t imagine the band expecting to exist without Patton in front. On that thought, let’s savor this momentous event in music. Until the next reunion!